boho blue

top, Forever 21

chambray shorts, Tommy Hilfiger outlet

moonstone earrings, Honolulu boutique

   I wore this to meet up with a friend on Saturday for lunch. I had an extremely cheesy Croque Monsieur sandwich, followed up with some lemon cake. The lemon cake, while generous in size, was a lightweight compared to some of the other offerings - my friend got a cake that basically filled the entire Styrofoam container!

     I bought these earrings a while back, but this is my first time wearing them. A boutique that sold Tibetan/Himalayan items - bags, jewelry, clothing - was having a great sale and I thought the moonstone was gorgeous! I haven't worn them because the clasp is tricky - you need to thread the hook end back into the loop. My ears hurt after wearing them, alas - not sure whether it's because they're a bit heavier than I'm used to, I haven't worn earrings much lately, or I'm sensitive to the metal.  
     Life in Vegas update: I moved to Vegas with the intention of working part-time/substitute teaching, but ended up landing myself a full-time teaching job! I'm alternately terror-stricken and excited. Terror-stricken because I haven't been in a "back to school" mindset at all, and I usually like to start mentally preparing a month before school begins. Excited because there are some really neat opportunities involved with this job and I think it will be a great learning experience.

polished boho

top, Forever 21

skirt, Calvin Klein outlet

       I never thought about pairing this shirt with my trusty pencil skirt, but I like the combination. I think that the black skirt really makes the white embroidery pop. This outfit was chosen after a great deal of thought - I wore it for my math lesson observation. It's always nerve-wracking to have someone observe and rate you! The only thing I didn't think about is that it's kind of hard to squat and talk to groups working on the floor when you're wearing a pencil skirt. 
       Yesterday I kicked off a "12 Days of Thankfulness" activity for my classroom. One thing I'm thankful for? That the other teachers on my grade level also embraced the idea and are implementing it in their classrooms. We'll be making a gratitude chain, journaling, and writing thank you notes to important people in our lives.
       One more thing I'm thankful for ... that fourth-graders aren't too cool or too old to be totally enthralled by scratch n' sniff stickers. ;) Students who scored 100% on a recent math test got a sticker, and it was gratifying to see that they enjoyed that small reward.  
       What are you thankful for today?

extremely big and incredibly tired

    top, Forever 21

DKNY Soho jeans and Seiko watch, Macy's

earrings, New Zealand

bad hair, c/o sleepless night

      Through dressing for myself, experimenting with my clothes, and observing and learning from the style of other bloggers, I've realized that style rules should really be called guidelines. What's more, personal style trumps just about every rule.

     Take this bag, for instance: a quick Google search of "petites and choosing a bag" says small women should choose, well, small bags that don't "overpower." This site gets surprisingly detailed, saying certain bag types will lengthen my short torso and that I should avoid big prints.
       I've already decided that big prints are my style (proof here). And I love this bag because: a) I made it, b) the mix of prints makes me happy, and c) it's a great laptop bag. The knotted handles that look like bows make me smile, too.

 Tassels!

       I used this bag to take my laptop to the first day of a four-day training. Things didn't go quite as expected. I dutifully got into bed a little before 10 on Sunday night so I could wake up early. The problem? I wasn't sleepy at all. At 11 p.m. I gave up trying to will myself to sleep and read for half an hour about effective instructional strategies (i.e., important stuff, but no page-turner that will keep me up for hours). After a few yawns, which raised my hopes that sleep was possible, I got back in bed at 11:30. I then proceeded to lie there for what felt like at least an hour. In the end I decided to keep my eyes shut and hope that I'd fall asleep.
      Of course, that meant that I ended up staying in bed a little past my alarm, which resulted in a  rushed breakfast to get out the door on time. Throw in the stresses of navigating my way to the training site, meeting for the first time 10 colleagues from my new school, shivering in the air-conditioning, and being overwhelmed with information on how to use new software, and you will understand why I treated myself to a cookie -- and a nap -- when I got home.

      There are some good things. My new colleagues seem pretty friendly, and I got to meet someone I'll be working with closely. The software seems promising for helping me track student progress and adjust instruction. And, since I was so cold on Monday, I'm looking forward to dressing in layers and giving my lightweight cardigans, sweaters and scarves some love this week. :)
      What's your favorite style rule to break?